A record 714 people registered for the recently held Division A Open Day event, of which 597 or 84 per cent were non-Toastmasters. The objective of the event was to showcase Toastmasters International to non-Toastmasters with the aim of converting them to members.

The official attendance by both Toastmasters and non-Toastmasters was 378 participants, making this the most attended Open House event in District 74. The event gave birth to a new Division A club, the Accelerators Toastmasters Club. It also offered an opportunity to about 156 non-Toastmasters to start their public speaking and leadership development journeys with Toastmasters clubs in Pretoria, Rustenburg and Hartebeespoort.

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town was the guest of honour. She spoke about the importance of communication skills in today’s professional environment and delivered a standing-ovation presentation where she shared the 3Cs to effective communication: Content, Connection with people and Context.

The event took place online via Zoom on Friday, 26 February 2021 from 18:00 – 20:00 (CAT).